Lacrimosa Riddle and The Last Horcrux
by Memory of the Sky
Summary: Awaken from death, the world seems like a much crueler place. Lacrimosa breaks away from her crystal prison to learn that Tom Riddle is Lord Voldemort, the source of the worlds troubles today...what will she do to face him? Rated M for adult content.
1. Awakening

**Harry Potter and The Lost Horcrux**  
><em>Awakening<em>  
>By: Anencephaly<p>

The wind was frigid against his hands; the night was cold and unforgiving, he tucked them inside his robes as he walked on down towards the very base of the castle. Dumbledore had felt a sort of presence shifting and moving and turning within the middle of the night. A rare power that he hadn't felt in ages, it brought him out of his sleep. He continued to walk until he reached a wall where he felt around for a moment. He reached for his wand and murmured an incantation. In the blink of an eye the wall disappeared, revealing the mouth of a cave.

When he stepped inside the chill of the outside winds had instantaneously faded away and an unknown warmth had washed over him "_Magic…_" he thought to himself as he looked around and continued on towards his destination. The main chamber of the Crystalline Catacombs was as beautiful as ever. Dumbledore's eyes wandered as he heard a soft wailing sound. Sparks of magic were swimming through the air in an array of colors. He turned to look towards the largest crystal in the center of a pool of water, where they had laid _her_ to rest.

The crystal was cracked in some places, and it was pulsating very slowly. Dumbledore stood in awe as he looked upon the young woman, her flesh covered in crystal, not a trace of her skin nor clothing remained to be seen as the crystal had seemingly swirled around her and froze into place. "I suppose it's time…" Dumbledore said softly. "But you won't like what you see, my dear Lacrimosa."

It was then that the crystal around her began to pulsate once more, as if in response to what Dumbledore had said. The cries of the drifting magical orbs were growing louder and more frequent. Her power was spreading throughout the room. The weakest of the crystals were the first to shatter around him, followed by the much older yet stronger crystals. Lacrimosa's eyes flew open and the crystal shattered into a million pieces that flew across the room hurling themselves like daggers into the cave walls. If Dumbledore was not so quick to cast a protection spell over himself prior to leaving the castle he might have lost his life just then. The shards of crystal that had once surrounded the girl merely broke into more pieces and fell onto the ground helplessly. Dumbledore looked down upon the crystal and then up across the water where Lacrimosa was already laying in a heap on the ground, reaching up gasping out for air, her first breath of air in many years.

Lacrimosa had finally awoken.

Silently, the old Professor made his way across the room, and walked across the water where he met up with Lacrimosa who had her face in the dirt. She was breathing though, and probably making an attempt to gather herself and her thoughts. He knelt down beside her, reaching out and touching the back of her head gently, he turned her over. Their eyes met, and he could see that she had been crying the very moment she had burst from the crystal.

Upon removing her former prison and up to his office in the castle, Dumbledore attempted to make sense of her current state.

It seemed wrong.

She could hardly move, she could only lay there looking around in a confused state. At times she would murmur confused words and Dumbledore would stand by and watch, wondering and waiting when she would wake up completely.

"Who is she?" Professor Snape looked down upon the girl lying in the bed moving only but to look at nothing.

"A very important piece to the puzzle…" Dumbledore said in a hushed voice. "I had no idea that she would wake at this time, but this is certainly good news for us…it will give Voldemort something to chase after besides Harry."

"The Dark Lord does not chase after confounded young women-"

"Not just any woman, Severus." Dumbledore stepped forward, looking at Lacrimosa carefully before he waved his hand through the air, a barrier breaking away.

Her power filled their senses quickly, Snape's eyes growing wider until finally Dumbledore put the barrier back in place. "Her name… is Lacrimosa Riddle, wife to Tom Marvolo Riddle whom you know as Lord Voldemort."

"Are you sure?" Snape asked slightly bewildered.

"She is as I say she is… I need your help Severus, she must not fall into his hands."

Snape turned his eyes towards Lacrimosa. She was looking at him, the lids on her eyes heavy. Dumbledore had not steered him wrong yet. Dumbledore nodded, turning with Snape towards the staircase that led into his office. "Surely it would be wise to remove her from the castle this year, what with the Ministry wanting to put one of their own in the castle."

"No… not yet… she should stay by my side until she awakens fully. I'm sure he's envisioned her awakening by now. He'll ask you of any strange occurrences in the castle, if anyone has come or gone. Tell him you know nothing."

As Lacrimosa watched them walk away, she could hear them speak though their voices muffled. Was this all a dream? Who was Dumbledore talking to? Where were they? Why was there a barrier around her, keeping her from searching the outside, and keeping her from being found. Who was she hiding from? So many questions filled her mind, yet she had no ability to speak. The words could not be formed at her mouth.

She slept, and woke, often being checked upon by Dumbledore and the man in all black. She received potions from him, twice daily. It made her feel light and easy, it made her feel as if she could return to the world once more and at times she would whisper words that only her mouth would form. 'Voldemort' being one of them. The first time she spoke that name, Dumbledore had rushed to her side only to find that she was as dazed and confused as ever.

Lacrimosa awoke from her dreams, the barrier that Dumbledore had placed around her was broken by her own power. She sat up for the first time ever taking in the senses of clearer sight and smell around her. She felt safe, and recognized this place as Dumbledore's office by the sight and smell alone. Turning her feet towards the edge of the bed she placed them down carefully on the cold stone floor.

Her third eye, searched around for help. She could see within the third eye, her minds eye Dumbledore was close. In the other room writing, he rose from his seat and made his way to her resting place.

When he drew the curtain to the side he forced a smile. "Good Morning, Lacrimosa."

She wanted to exchange pleasantries, but her thoughts had begun to mix and stir again as she looked upon her old Professor. He had aged quite a bit. He approached her, extending his hand out with a warmer smile. "Come…you must be tired of sleeping."

He helped her to stand, brandishing a large cane from thin air he offered it to her. Though she didn't believe she would need it, she could feel her legs becoming weak beneath her. Lacrimosa gripped it tightly in her hand as Dumbledore opened up the curtain for her to walk through. It was the Headmaster's Office, but very much different from the way Professor Dippet had designed it. It was fashioned to Dumbledore's own likes. Somehow…she didn't feel okay anymore. Her eyes wandered around the room, the portraits all staring at her and murmuring. Dippet was there on one of the walls, looking down upon her slightly confused.

Just before she could turn to Dumbledore she felt a great darkness enter her mind, passing through her body. She collapsed to the ground, as a pain seared through her head. She saw many things. A boy, a creature that looked as if to be a shadow of a horrible man, many many horrible things he had done.

"Lord Voldemort…" she said in a hushed voice.

(I decided to rewrite to fill in the gaps. I felt when I re-read this, that the story was too choppy, spaced out and fast paced. I think I would like to make this one last a longer then I have been writing it in such a horrible style. Thank you everyone for your reviews and your continuous reading of my story. Sometime in the future, please look forward also to a new updated version of Tom Marvolo Riddle and the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I plan to redo that one as well.)


	2. Remembering

Lacrimosa Riddle and The Last Horcrux  
><em>Remembering<em>  
>By: Anencephaly<p>

"What's going on?" Lacrimosa whispered, her voice barely audible across the room. Dumbledore simply waved his hand and the teapot boiling in midair next to him poured into a teacup floating next to it.

"Fifty-one years you've been believed to be dead." Dumbledore said quietly. The teacup shattered, and the pot of boiling water was ready to explode but Dumbledore had halted it, stopping the explosion just barely and repaired it in an instant. He turned towards Lacrimosa who sat in a chair leaning over confused and dismayed. "Calm yourself, Lacrimosa. You're powers are effected by your emotions."

"I'm sorry." She let out.

"I'm sorry…" her voice cracked as she repeated herself.

Dumbledore simply shook his head, patting her on the shoulder as he moved to sit down next to her. "Can you remember anything?" He asked.

Lacrimosa shook her head over and over again. "It's a blur… I see… things… I don't know… none of it makes sense. I feel like a child right now, it's hard to focus." She threw her face into her hands as she tried to maintain herself. Dumbledore motioned towards the teacup and it moved forward through the air not spilling one drop.

"Drink this, it will calm your nerves." Dumbledore said.

She looked up behind her tear soaked bangs and reached out for the porcelain and brought it to her lips tilting the tea into her mouth. Indeed as she swallowed she felt slightly relieved, not of pain but of anxiety. The world had indeed changed and she could see almost all of it. "Where's Mum? Dad?"

"Now is not the time to discuss-"

"They're dead…aren't they?" Lacrimosa knit her brows together as she looked up at him, more tears welling up in her bright eyes. It was with a heavy heart, he nodded his head confirming her suspicion.

"They were murdered. By a dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort, along with your brother… twenty-six years ago." Dumbledore finally said as he stood up to go make himself a cup of tea. He could hear her trying not to cry as he walked away. "Don't blame yourself Lacrimosa." Dumbledore tried to stay calm for her, even though the truth of who Lord Voldemort was would be end of her. He would have to find some way to break it to her easily.

"Where was I?" She struggled to say.

"We were all mistaken about your death…" Dumbledore finally said. "The delicate condition in which your powers have left you put you under a sleep. I must admit, quite a curious problem in which almost no witch or wizard has returned from to this day, except you."

Lacrimosa turned her head away. Taking notice of Fawkes who was looking at her intently, He dropped down perching himself upon her knee and rubbed his head against her robes gently. "I'm not so sure if I want to be that lucky." She replied weakly. She looked back up at Dumbledore, "What about… Tom?" she whispered.

Dumbledore's eyes remained fixated on her, and she knew what was coming next… she knew what he was going to say. "Died… by Lord Voldemort's hand." She felt herself break completely. It was a nightmare, and she was all alone to endure it. She wanted so desperately to be woken up, but knew that reality had a terrible way of being…real…

"I want to fight." Lacrimosa said angrily. "I will fight…" she said in a hushed voice.

"Yes… The Order of the Phoenix would be most appreciative to your assistance." Dumbledore replied.

"The order?" Lacrimosa looked up.

"All in good time, my dear." Dumbledore replied. "But the first order of business… I'll assume you will not be returning to the Ministry of Magic as an Auror."

Lacrimosa's eyes wavered a bit. "No…" she replied. "If it is alright with you, Headmaster… I would like to remain here. Until I recover completely at least."

Dumbledore simply nodded his head. "But I cannot allow you to wander about the castle… the Ministry has sent someone to watch over me."

"You're in danger?" Lacrimosa replied.

"Not so much… but it seems Voldemort is trying to make an attempt to remove me from the school." Dumbledore nodded a little. "I will bring you whatever you need, but I must ask when I say run… you run…"

Lacrimosa nodded and watched as her Professor stood up, walking towards the window behind his desk. His hands folded behind his back. "These are grave times… and most curious times as well."

She closed her eyes shortly after he spoke. She often wondered when she would wake up to see her family standing above her asking her if she was alright. Too often she would open her eyes to find herself sitting in Dumbledore's office, with no one she knew around. She mourned the death of all she knew…and her powers continued to break from her control. Her emotions played a big part in the loss of the connection between her being able to control them. It was as if, she were a child all over again.  
>Still, Dumbledore remained patient with her as he trained her to rekindle the lost relationship between herself and her powers.<p>

By the time the school OWL's were ready to take place, Lacrimosa was ready to leave. She was ready to find the man who had killed Tom Riddle, her parents and friends. She clutched her wand tightly, waiting impatiently to tell Dumbledore of her plan until he entered the room, rather in a quick pace, clutching a bit of parchment in one hand. "Fawkes." He called to the Phoenix.

Fawkes looked up, jumping from his perch and gliding down to Dumbledore's arm. "Take this to Sirius…stay hidden my friend."

Lacrimosa watched the bird fly out of the office, and turned walking towards the edge of the staircase where Dumbledore was steadily approaching. "What's going on?" Lacrimosa could see the concern written all over his face.

"Are you able to use your powers appropriately?" Dumbledore took her by the shoulders.

"Wh-I don't understand-"

"Come, Lacrimosa its very important… you must do something for me if we're going to get out together."

"I-I…" she took in a deep breath. "Yes…yes I can…" she replied.

Dumbledore nodded, "Take the form of your Phoenix…when I call to you, I need you to take us from here…anywhere."

"Anywhere…" Lacrimosa repeated as Dumbledore released her. She took a step back her body growing considerably smaller as her shape shifted into a Phoenix similar to the look of Fawkes himself. She perched herself atop of Fawkes' cage and watched and waited as that awful Umbridge woman had come into the office, demanding the removal of Dumbledore due to some student's work of 'Dumbledore's Army'.

"You seem to be laboring under the delusion that I'm going to…what was the phrase?" He paused briefly, "Come Quietly. Well, I can tell you this. I have no intention of going to Azkaban." Dumbledore was calling to her with his mind.

"Enough of this…TAKE HIM!" The Umbridge woman screamed.

Lacrimosa dove down, screaming with her bird like voice and reached out for Dumbledore's outstretched hands. Flames erupted around them, engulfing their bodies and then they disappeared into thin air. They landed in a set of woods, Lacrimosa dropping into her human form, her blood boiling from what had just happened.

"What has the world gotten itself into? Doesn't the Ministry trust you anymore?" Lacrimosa crossed her arms after she dropped a few red feathers that disinigrated into thin air.

"I'm afraid not." Dumbledore looked around. "You performed well, Lacri. Better then I had expected." He looked around. "Why these woods?"

Lacrimosa looked around as well, realizing where she had taken them. "I-I don't know…" she said quietly, her eyes welling up with tears. "Tom came to my house one Summer, after our second year at Hogwarts." She glanced around, this was near home. This was where her fondest memories were. She looked back at Dumbledore, wondering if there was a chance that he would permit them to deviate from finding a safe haven. "Can you take me to their graves?" She asked.

Dumbledore looked at her, but not for too long and simply shook his head, "There is no grave for Tom Riddle…"

"What?"

"There was nothing left." Dumbledore replied. "No trace."

The tears fell and she turned her head away to replay memories of them. Dumbledore approached her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "We should go, to some place safer. Come."

There was a loud pop and the world had spun into a household. Disheveled and moth eaten.

"It's Dumbledore!" A woman's high voice called, and from a door in the hallway she emerged. Molly Weasley wasted no time in greeting them. "Kingsley told us everything, we knew you'd be coming. W-who is this?"

"Another ally for the Order. Molly, this is Lacrimosa, my great granddaughter."

"Granddaughter?" Molly was taken back, Lacrimosa attempted not to display the same look of disbelief as she extended her hand and shook the woman's. "I can see it, a little… Albus. Come child, you look shook up."

"W-wai-" there was no use in protesting as Molly Weasley took off with her towards the kitchen, Dumbledore following quietly behind. In the kitchen Kingsley stood, murmuring with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.

"Professor." Lupin stood up, ignoring the new face.

Lacrimosa sat, a little farther away than the others. She could feel a set of eyes upon her as Dumbledore spoke with the group of people on the Ministry. When she looked up she could see Sirius Black looking at her, and she quickly glanced away.  
>By the time Dumbledore finished, he had already rounded the table. "May I present to you… Lacrimosa Dumbledore, my great great Granddaughter. I'm sorry Sirius, but I was wondering if she could stay here with myself until we're in the clear?"<p>

"No, not at all. It's no problem." Sirius replied.

"Thank you." Dumbledore humbly said, and proceeded to take in a good smell of the air around him. "Ahh, Molly… is that Pumpkin Stew I smell?"

Dinner was quiet for her as she listened about Voldemort's moves. She remained quiet even as the portrait in the hallway began screaming when Arthur Weasley had finally arrived to catch up on a late dinner. She somehow…felt out of touch.

She was lead to an empty room at the top of the stairs, where it looked for the most part, cleaned out most likely by the woman of the household. Lacrimosa made a place in the center of the floor, her dark brown hair falling silkily behind her as she took in thoughts of Voldemort. It all had to do with a prophecy, and that boy… Harry Potter.

Lacrimosa wanted the opportunity to fight but was denied by Dumbledore himself, even as he continued to retrain her on the use of her powers. He explained to her that there was still a lot of work left to do, and that Voldemort simply could not just die…

"You're quiet." Came a voice from behind her, one evening in the sitting room.

Lacrimosa turned to see Sirius standing there at the doorway. "I don't have much to say." She quietly replied.

"Except that you want to fight…what did Voldemort take from you, might I ask?"

"Family…" her voice carried off. "And friends…" She looked out the window again. "It was… like being in a dream. But when I woke up, I couldn't do anything to make it right again. All I have left is the desire to revenge all that have fallen."

"In time… Harry is the key."

"Who is Harry?" Lacrimosa asked.

A look of disbelief washed over his face as she said that. "Oh…" she weakly replied. "You mean Harry Potter…your godson, right?" she tried to play it down as if she knew the story well, despite Dumbledore not telling her much.

Sirius' face seemed to return to normal as he sat down in the armchair next to her and waved his wand, a tray of hot cocoa appearing before them. "He's like you, you know. He too had his parents, my best friends taken from him and he wants to fight…"

"Why won't you let him?"

"I think he should… it's that grandfather of yours who discourages it. You see…" and he went on to explain the story of his godson to her, and suddenly she had a desire to meet this Harry Potter as soon as they were capable of getting back to the castle. He had a connection to Voldemort, and perhaps… she could help him. They could join together and take back what they both had lost to the most powerful dark wizard in history.

"I will fight. Soon." Lacrimosa stood up, looking out the window again. There was a searing pain against one side of her head. She turned away, hearing a dark voice…Voldemort's? 


	3. Truth and Lies

Lacrimosa Riddle and The Last Horcrux  
><em>Truth and Lies<em>  
>By: Anencephaly<p>

"Alright Lacri, you're doing great." Sirius was smiling at her as she was bringing up her energy to use a spell. "Fire." He commanded. In a simple movement, she swept her wand across without saying a word, the word Reducto bleeding through her mind as she shattered a rather ugly looking vase across the room into thousands of pieces. She brought her wand back up, rebuilding the vase in an instant. When it was done she looked towards Sirius for approval. He stood there, a finger to his lower lip as he studied the vase from afar. Finally he turned to her and smiled nodding his head. "You may be ready to fight yet."

With a heavy sigh, Lacrimosa rolled around on one foot, dropping down into a deep red armchair.

"Don't despair Lacri… I'm confined here just as you are."

"Like a caged bird…" Lacrimosa sighed heavily as she dug a nail into one of the holes on the armchair. Her thoughts were interrupted when there came a loud scream from the downstairs Hallway.

"FILTH!"

"Your mother is at it again." Lacrimosa forced a smile. Sirius smiled at this as well and followed her down the stairs to greet their guest and take care of the portrait. They reached downstairs, and silence only to see Snape standing there looking extremely serious as he looked upon Sirius.

"Where is… Dumbledore?" He asked.

"Out." Sirius replied. "What is it?"

"Your godson was under the impression that the Dark Lord-" and at once Lacrimosa had doubled over, clutching herself tightly. She cried out, grabbing their attention, the portrait again screaming out, but she couldn't hear them over her own.

"_Ahhh yes…._" It was that hissing voice in her head. She could see him following a group of young children through the Ministry. "_the prophecy…_"

At some point she must of called out Harry's name, because Sirius had already jumped up from helping her, ordering Snape to take care of her. The vision had ended and she had passed out. By the time she woke, she found herself no longer at Grimmauld Place. She was in Dumbledore's Office again. She sat up, a cool towel falling off her head into her lap. She felt… dizzy, and as if she lived a horrible dream.

Snape had come into view, carrying a potion in one hand.

"Why are we here?" Lacrimosa looked up at him.

"Dumbledore has been permitted back into the school, upon the Ministry's loss."

"What happened?" Lacrimosa touched her head. "What was that?"

Snape sat down, handing her the potion, she looked at it and then at him. "To calm your nerves." He said quietly. She took a sip and then brought it down. "All of it." He looked at her. She did, reluctantly but the potion was gone.

"Where's Sirius?" she asked.

"Sirius Black…" Snape quietly said. "Is dead."

Her hand firmly squeezed around the glass, breaking it. She could feel her hand oozing her blood, seeping onto her dress as she looked at Snape in disbelief. It was only just hours ago that they were standing in the hallway of Grimmauld Place, laughing about a jinx. Snape had already set to work on her hand as she sat there almost absent mindedly.

"It feels like a lie." She weakly said.

"What's important now is that you work on getting better." Snape said.

She looked up at him, tears at the corner of her eyes. "I could have been there to help him."

And while this was true, Lacrimosa had brought herself back to the memory of being able to see, hear, feel and touch whatever Voldemort was doing in random moments. Maybe it was just a coincidence? Since her powers had been acting of their own accord ever since she had awoken? Either way, she wanted revenge…

During the course of the Summer however, she learned of the true nature of Voldemort's immortal premise. Because he had done so many horrific acts of injustice and against humanity he was allowed to be reborn over and over again. It was then that she and Dumbledore began to search for the items known as Horcruxes, which brought them to a little village known as Little Hangleton.

"Horcrux…" Lacrimosa repeated quietly as she followed close behind Dumbledore. "What did you pick out from that wreckage?"

"Something dangerous, Lacrimosa. You shouldn't see it…or touch it for that matter." Fed up with being treated like a child, she jumped forward, grasping whatever it was out of his hand and appeared in front of him as she opened her hand. "Don't-" But it was too late. She recognized this ring, it was one that Tom used to wear. She held it up, hardly believing her eyes.

"Lacrimosa!" Dumbledore shouted.

Her eyes widened as she felt something stir within her, a sharp pain stabbing her in the ribcage. She was falling forward, Dumbledore rushing towards her as pain seared throughout her entire body now. She could see Tom standing there above an older handsome man. The killing curse was shouted by him, not muttered, as if he knew what he was doing at that exact moment then the memory ended, with him doing such a horrific act. She tossed the ring forward from her hands and began to cry.

Dumbledore approached her, taking up the ring in his hand and knelt down beside her. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

Lacrimosa wanted to destroy everything. She could feel her power rising, and then falling with the quick tug she pulled it back within and exerted all her energy into crying. "You lied to me!" She shouted.

"You weren't ready." Dumbledore said in a soothing voice.

It wasn't enough to set her free from the pain. She felt angry at herself…at Dumbledore. "Why him?" She cried.

"Lacrimosa, please… it's not your fault." Dumbledore tried to sooth her poor nerves. "I hid it from you because you weren't capable of controlling your emotions at the time and with that your vast power … I'm so sorry, please forgive me."

"I don't understand…what could have made him…"

"There is a part of him in which you do not know, my dear child." Dumbledore helped her to stand. "Let us go for a long walk to calm yourself, and I will tell you everything I know."

As they walked, Dumbledore told her everything about her husband that he knew. Including the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. Her injuries and the death of one of their old school mates, Mrytle. Suddenly she felt sick to her stomach, as if she had been played by a wolf in sheeps clothing. "Do you think he meant it?" She asked Dumbledore.

"Every word he spoke to you?" Dumbledore asked. She looked up at him, nodding her head without a word. "On one hand, you're an exceedingly bright and powerful witch, Lacrimosa. He saw you at his level, perhaps…his equal. On the other… your kindness and compassionate personality towards many things was untouched even by him. So the only one that can answer that question would be yourself."

She couldn't really know unless she were to see him again… Her eyes wavered, but she held back the tears. "To this, I have another secret to entrust to you."

"Yes?" She looked up at him.

"Voldemort has issued the Malfoy boy to kill me, in order to get to Harry Potter."

"I'll protect you!" Lacrimosa stopped in her tracks.

Dumbledore let out a gentle laugh as he turned the ring over between his fingers. "I know you would want to… but I have a plan that would require my death."

"But-"

"I've made my choice. If the Malfoy boy fails, it would be left up to Snape… if Snape fails, they both will die. Snape, as you know is an important asset to the plan."

Lacrimosa's eyes began to waver once more and Dumbledore brandished a handkerchief from his fingertips and wiped away a few tears. "Come now…we all must face it at some point in our lives. Know, that I am not afraid, and you shouldn't be either." He gave a heavy sigh, "Come… lets figure out how to get rid of this."

Together they apparated back to his office, and placed the ring down on his cleared desk, as they cast very powerful spells of destruction upon it. Lacrimosa's nearly setting fire to his desk. They tried for a half an hour at most, before Lacrimosa sat down. "It's useless… " she sighed.

Dumbledore picked it up once more, turning it over in his fingers. Slowly he slipped it on, wondering if the ring would reveal some sort of secret to him on how to destroy it. Everything went blurry and soon Lacrimosa was over him trying to pull the ring off. She raised her hand, the sword of Godric Gryffindor appearing in it as soon as the ring was pulled off and she handed it to him, where he promptly stabbed it.  
>They sat there for a moment watching as a faint whisper had come from it and then Lacrimosa picked up his hand. "It's spreading… Professor!"<p>

He looked down upon the blackness covering his hand. "Snape… go fetch Snape, and hurry!" Dumbledore dropped into his chair.  
>Lacrimosa wasted no time as she bolted through the office, her silvery robes trailing behind her. Dumbledore had been cursed, and the curse would spread in no time throughout his body over the course of the year or so. She arrived in the office, after being instructed to get some herbs from the hospital wing. Dumbledore and Snape appeared to be arguing over something. She entered without a knock, placing a tray down, her brows furrowed at the both of them.<p>

"I want to meet Harry Potter, this year." She said. "If I'm going to be fighting against my own husband…"

"Yes… I see.." Dumbledore nodded. "It can be arranged."

She looked down at Dumbledore's hand, "So that's it then…" she said quietly.

"Severus will be taking care-" Dumbledore stopped after noticing Lacrimosa shifted her attention towards Severus. They stared at each other for a while, as if saying what they needed to say with their eyes only.

Her face began to lose color as she fell forward, voices whispering through her head. The two were over her in an instant. She could see a pair of pale hands moving over a familiar pendant as a snake like voice spoke to someone in the background…another snake like voice? It was about finding a way to kill Harry Potter. 


	4. Will

Lacrimosa Riddle and The Last Horcrux  
><em>Will <em>  
>By: Anencephaly<p>

Lacrimosa traveled up the steps… up and up even as they slowly moved up on their own. Dumbledore had called her urgently, and she wasted no time in arriving. "I'm here." She said stepping into the middle of his office.

Dumbledore looked up from his desk, a smile forming on his face. It was small but kind, and reminded her of the days when he would smile like that just for anyone. She took a few steps forward and watched as he turned back down to his quill and parchment, "Do you remember the first day I met you? I don't speak of when you were a baby, but your very first memories of me, Lacri."

Her lips parted as she took in a slight breath. The memory emerged into her mind and she replayed it silently to herself. "I was shy of you, sir." She said. "I hid behind Rez."

"And Rez pushed you out from behind him, you fell forward, scraping your knees. You didn't cry." Dumbledore continued to write.

"No…"Lacrimosa laughed a little, "Instead my hair turned blue…" she pulled a small weft in front of her face, the shade slowly changing to the exact color she had remembered it being back then. The sound of Dumbledore folding his parchment didn't make her look up. "I healed myself, and that's when you knelt down to me and introduced yourself to me. We played little tricks together, making things move and turning flowers into dragonflies."

"That's when I said, 'Lacrimosa, you are destined to do great things.'"

She dropped her hair, and looked up at him as he stamped his seal into the red liquid, it leaving a fine imprint. "Unfortunately, I was never able to do those great things…" she replied.

"Ahh, but you have already. You grew up to be the most powerful witch of your time, and extremely talented. You aided in the hand of Gindelwald's downfall, and became a rising star in the Auror's Department. You married, an extremely dark man, and yet somehow came out untainted…" Dumbledore stood, taking the letter up gingerly in his hand. "And you're about to do another great thing… by taking a stand against someone you loved to save everyone else. " He rounded his desk. "I must confess myself, I have been in your situation once before and it is not an easy thing to do."

Lacrimosa shifted her eyes to the floor. "I think I'm afraid of seeing him, what if I can't?"

"That is why, I'm giving you this." Dumbledore reached into his pocket, pulling out a tiny glass vial that she recognized as one of his ornate memory holders. "Watch it, when I am gone." He instructed her as he gingerly placed it in her hand. She looked at it for a moment before he spoke again. "I must make other requests of you Lacri, as they are crucial to the plans we've made all year." She felt her heart grow heavy as he handed her the stamped letter he had been writing. "My will." He said. "I request that you deliver this to the Ministry tonight."

"A-alright." Her voice was slightly shaky. "You didn't put my name in it… did you sir?"

"No… what I will leave to you I will give you now. But, are you sure you don't want to meet the boy?"

She shook her head, "I changed my mind… its staying that way." Lacrimosa replied. "As far as the world knows, I'm dead. All the people that had mourned my death have either gone or forgotten about me, and I don't want to burden anyone else should I die again."

Dumbledore nodded slightly, and turned as Lacrimosa conjured up a deep red satchel and pulled it over one of her shoulders, carefully placing it into the bag. "I am leaving Fawkes to you, should you need him just call."

"Thank you, sir." Lacrimosa said. "I'll take good care of him."

"I know you will." He turned back to her, holding a small case. "As for the contents of the will, here are the items in question which are also to be delivered with the letter." Lacrimosa nodded, stowing them away in the satchel. The bell on one of his clocks rang out and she glanced up at the same time he did. "Ahh… I should be heading off soon." He said looking back towards her. She stepped forward throwing her arms around him and buried the side of her head into his chest.

"You don't have to do this…" she tried to stop him.

"Either way… death will come." Dumbledore said bravely as he folded his arms around her. He forced a laugh, "You've grown back to your old self, Lacrimosa. You're strong enough to do everything all over again."

Lacrimosa pulled away slightly, looking up at him as she tried not to cry. He leaned forward, kissing her on the forehead. "Just remember everything I told you. We'll get through this, trust in Harry and believe in yourself."

She nodded as she pulled away. "Goodbye…" she whispered.

"Goodbye, dear Lacrimosa."

Dumbledore's death burned in everyone's mind that night. Lacrimosa, sat with Fawkes upon her knee as she watched everyone's wand burn for him. Fawke's cooed, and she looked up towards the large bird. "I'm not sure if I'm ready. If this is his power, what sort of hope do I have?" she took in a deep breath, and then remembered the vial of memories given to her and she quickly picked it out of the satchel laying on the floor. She stood up, causing Fawkes to fly to his perch and watch her as she made her way to Dumbledore's pensieve. It opened for her, and she opened the vial of memory given to her and dumped it into the shallow basin. Her eyes caught ahold of the old memories of Tom Riddle, those that she had watched on days that Harry and Dumbledore would not use them, learning just exactly how he had turned into the monster, Voldemort.

She leaned forward, being pulled into the memory.

"Come now Tom, what would Lacrimosa say of all this?"

Dumbledore appeared younger as in many of the other memories she had seen before he died.

"Don't you dare speak her name!" A voice hissed, and then he came into clearer view. A man… pale flesh and burning eyes. He no longer looked human. Lacrimosa bit her lip as they spoke and as he walked straight through her. She felt oddly cold.

"Do you think Lacrimosa would have wanted you to continue this way?"

"Silence!" They circled each other, either one ready to strike at the other. "One day she'll awaken again! She'll awaken into a world built for witches and wizards where we don't have to hide ourselves away from filthy muggles."

Dumbledore simply looked at him, eyes unmoving. "Lacrimosa dreamed of a world where there would be no more death, Tom. No more pain…"

"And there shall be, for those that follow." The memory broke apart, leaving her feeling sick inside. She stood up straight, looking towards the window. The dark mark had disappeared by now, and she tried to imagine herself meeting 'Voldemort' for the first time. Either way it all had to come to an end, and she could help Harry Potter by leading Voldemort into another direction, the only way was to play the part.

She reached into her pocket, pulling out her wedding ring and looked at it. "I'll do it… for you. For everyone that's gone." She said as she placed it on her finger, thinking of Tom, Dumbledore, her mother, father and brothers, after all she was destined to do great things.

Following Dumbledore's funeral, Lacrimosa remained at Hogwarts, learning from Snape months before that he himself would come to take over the school; that would be her chance to begin her plan. Lacrimosa had become The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and remained under the alias of Lacrimosa Dumbledore, school had started and a few days into the semester there was still nothing, even though Harry Potter, Hermionie Granger and Ron Weasley had disappeared following the fall of the Ministry. She began to feel nervous. What if he would never come and she would have to seek him out?

On the fourth night of the Semester she woke startled from her bed. She felt like she was being touched by an icy cold hand. There was a light cold sweat all over her body and she remained in bed as she tried to focus herself as she listened with her mind's eye she could hear a faint sound, and then finally the empty portrait in her room was filled by Dumbledore himself.

"You hear it, don't you?" He asked.

Lacrimosa nodded, "It's them…" she threw her covers off and stepped onto the cold floor. "Hurry, go wake the other teachers!" she pleaded. He nodded his head and disappeared, leaving the same empty portrait behind. She wasted no time getting dressed, pulling on a pale silver dress and robes. She wandered through the dark castle, listening for signs of the intrusion. They were here… but she couldn't tell exactly where.

She rounded a corner, nearly bumping into McGonagal. "Oh, heavens! Dear!" McGonagal hushed herself.

Lacrimosa shook her head. "I hear them… but I can't find them." She whispered.

"I'm going to Gryffindor tower, the other professors are waking their houses and leading them to the Great Hall. We can escape from there." McGonagal replied.

"I'll hold them off then." Lacrimosa nodded her head.

"You're coming with us."

Shaking her head again, "Don't worry about me. Just protect the student's at all costs. I'll meet you down there, if not I'll make my own means of escape. I promise." She turned her eyes past McGonagal, she could of swore she saw something ripple behind her. "Go…" Lacrimosa said, ushering the Professor behind her and then walked down the same hall McGonagal had come from. She was getting closer, and she could feel them almost around her. She stopped briefly, trying to get a more precise location. They were hiding, but she was going to find them.

She turned her head to look towards a wall with a mirror upon it, her eyes widening as she turned to face it.

There he stood within it, his eyes fixated upon her as she stared back. Voldemort had indeed come to take over the castle just as Severus had said.

He moved forward within the mirror, his face breaking the surface and turning it into a rippled pool around his face as he stepped out of it. A cold smile was on his lips and his eyes were hungry for pain, suffering and death as he moved closer to her, raising his wand and hand. She took one step back, still barely able to believe her eyes. This wasn't Tom Riddle, this was a monster. As she stepped back into the moonlight from the adjacent windows, her face came into view to him. She could see his darkness washed away and quickly filled in with what appeared to be grief as his browline cinched together, creasing the lines on his forehead just barely. His smiled dropped into a gape as he stared in awe.

He moved closer, and Lacrimosa stepped backwards with each step he took to near her until she felt the cold stone of the hallway against her back.

"You…" he whispered in a snakelike voice.

She turned her face away, laying herself flat against the wall until she felt herself sink in. When she looked back at him, he came running for her, barely grasping her arm as she slipped through the wall. His scream penetrated her ears.

She fell backwards on the floor, looking up to see Slughorn and McGonagal standing above her with the students disheveled behind them. "Professor?" Neville Longbottom called out.

Lacrimosa shook her head as she crawled onto her hands and pushed herself up off the floor. "Minerva, we need to hurry…"

McGonagal understood the look on her face, and turned ushering the students down the corridor and into the open doors of the Great Hall. Lacrimosa followed suit, she had done what she needed to do and didn't need to stay any longer. As she walked past the doors of the Great Hall they slammed shut behind her. Most of the students let out an audible gasp, a few screamed and then the few lights that were lit went out as a fast black cloud bolted through the air, landing behind the teachers and grabbing them at wand point.

Two more arrived, landing where Dumbledore once stood during the first day of school. The smog lifted at the person's feet and his black robes formed around his pale figure until he was finally revealed. Voldemort stood there again with a cold smile upon his face as he looked upon the students and then to Lacrimosa.

The second had landed next to her just as she raised her wand to attack. Severus Snape standing next to her with his wand pointed at her head.

"Come now… must we use our wands to settle this?" Voldemort spoke to her.

She held her wand steady, and didn't bother to reply.

"Lower your wand, girl." Voldemort demanded as he stepped forward on the platform.

"Do as he says…" Snape ordered quietly.

After a moment or two she lowered her wand carefully, along with her eyes.

"Bring her to me." Voldemort ordered.

Snape snatched her arm up and pushed her forward. She nearly tripped as he sped walked towards Voldemort and then pushed her down to her knees, holding her by her shoulders. She kept her head low and eased her mind.

"Look at me." He demanded.

She wouldn't.

He waited and then bent down, grabbing her face with his icy cold hand and turning it up to face him. Their eyes met, and once more his expression dropped.

There she was, before him…but he had to be sure…

Their eyes remained fixated to one another as he pulled at her mind, and dropped into a hazy vision. "Who are you?" He asked her through his mind.

She looked at him, her mental gaze darkening. "What does it matter to you? You're going to kill me anyway, like everyone else…"

He approached her, reaching out to her and took some of her lengthy hair into his hand and breathed it in. "White Plum…" he whispered as he dropped it, circling around her within their minds. He studied every inch of her. "I remember such a scent on only one woman…Lacrimosa…" he whispered.

Chills ran down her spine as he said her name.

"I don't know you." Lacrimosa replied.

He returned to the front of her. "You should remember. Look past the physical appearance." He grabbed her hand, placing it against his face and within her heart, buried deep she could feel Tom Riddle buried there… somewhere deep inside. Her eyes soften and she pulled away immediately. He allowed her to pull back, and he smiled at her. "So you do remember."

She shook her head. "I remember Tom Riddle…a young man that would have never done anything like this."

"Come Larimosa, everything will be alright-"

"Look at what you're doing! These children… those people…"

"All a part of the plan-"

"To take over the world?"

"A world for both of us to be free."

"I was free…before all of this." She forced him out of her mind and he nearly fell backwards upon returning. Severus was blasted back as she jumped up, flames erupting around her as her body turned into that of a semi-large phoenix. She shot up, blasting through the windows to the west, his scream piercing her ears as she flew off into the distance.


	5. Where Hope Meets Fate

Lacrimosa Riddle and The Last Horcrux  
>Where Hope Meets Fate<p>

By: Anencephaly

Despite the close encounter, Lacrimosa landed firmly one foot onto the landing of a front doorstep. She looked up, the wind picking up her hair behind her. The house wasn't what it used to be. Instead it was dilapidated, in shambles and quite a mess… furrowing her brows, she expected her mother, father and brother to come running out the door to happily greet her. But no one came… not even as she stood there for a whole five minutes before finally reaching for the door knob. She gave it a twist and it opened eerily. No, nothing was the same anymore. All that she knew and loved was gone. "I wish this was just a nightmare…" she said to herself as she slipped into the abandoned house.

The furniture was gone, and only a few pictures hung on the wall. She guessed that it was either ransacked, or maybe even taken hold of by the Ministry itself. Quietly she touched the picture on the wall, clearing the dust from it to find a family photo of herself, Rez, Reuben and her mother and father along with Azriel. Lacrimosa gave a sort of smile, and turned away quickly before finding herself in tears. She made her way upstairs to her old room; even there everything was gone, except for a little note on the door written in her mother's handwriting. "We're always here, even when you're gone. Love Mum, Dad and Reuben." Her eyes welled up this time and she turned away once more. "But I couldn't be there to stop any of this…" Lacrimosa stepped into the room further and then dropped to her knees in tears.

"Do not blame yourself for their deaths…Lacrimosa." A snakelike voice came from another corner. She turned quickly, fully alert, her wand pointed in the direction of the voice. Voldemort stood in the darkest corner next to the door and shut it promptly as soon as he grabbed her attention. "I had just a strange feeling you would come back here. It is home after all…" he stepped forward into the light. "Admittedly, I had visited this place on occasion myself."

"You're not welcome here." Lacrimosa curtly responded.

He ignored her, "I assume Dumbledore kept you as far away from these places as possible… as far away from me as he could. But the old man is dead now." Voldemort finally turned to her after examining the note that her mother had written her. "Lacrimosa…" he said quietly. "I have waited nearly fifty-three years for you to return, and now…here you stand before me almost as if you haven't aged a single day since then." He looked her up and down, "Yet there is something quite different about you."

"Nothing different." Lacrimosa said, wand still directed at him. "Tom, I was trained to be an Auror...those that commit unforgivable acts I must bring to justice. I have seen it all...I have seen many things and-"

"And felt…" he finished for her. "Yes…I know." He answered her puzzled expression. "Your curse…though we knew nothing about it then…now we know exactly what it was. Your gifts Lacrimosa, were growing faster than your body was. Your powers were reaching beyond your limitations causing your suffering. Most Witches or Wizards with the case die, but no… you reacted differently, your powers ceased time for you. You've passed fifty-one years sleeping more or less while you physically matured for your powers."

Lacrimosa shook her head, lowering her wand. "I know." She simply said. "I think I was meant to die though…"

"No, you were meant to join me." Voldemort held out his hand, she looked up at him and took one step back.

"You're not Tom Riddle…" Lacrimosa whispered. She threw her hands up. From the floor giant wings of flame on either side burst upwards breaking the structure of the house and erupting everything into flames. Voldemort cast a snowy tornado forward to put the flames out. She took ahold of it, turning it into a storm of ice shards which he deflected with a wall of fire. With the shards gone, she turned through the flames, disappearing into nothingness. Voldemort remained calm, even as he had lost what he had been sought after. He knew that he would eventually get a hold of her. It was all a matter of sending the Death Eaters her way and making sure that she stayed alive and in good health. He had to make her see, that what he was doing was for the good of the world.

Lacrimosa however had other plans. She occupied a rundown apartment in Britain keeping an eye out for the so-called Death Eaters while listening in for news of Harry Potter. Lacrimosa decidedly limited her powers via a special bracelet used by the Auror's to avoid detection. It kept her from being found, and allowed her to find others. One thing for sure though was Harry Potter being hunted. It wasn't safe for him to complete his mission, and with Voldemort hunting both her and him down she stood a chance of distracting him for at least a while. Lacrimosa used her visions to her advantage however, it seemed that Voldemort was looking for something desperately which would be bad news for Harry in the end.

She eventually learned of the location where Voldemort kept his base. Her plan was simple, kidnap a death eater and disguise herself well. There was only one problem. Lacrimosa grabbed for the sink as she felt herself falling. In her minds eye she could see herself running into the darkness and then falling. She was likely to make a mistake if her consciousness were to decidedly go blank. But perhaps being closer to Voldemort would stop that from happening. Either way she had to risk it. Either way she knew she was going to end up captured at some point in order to face him. Now she trudged through the woods next to Voldemorts henchmen, listening them to go on and on about their recent victims and their hatred towards mudbloods as well as Harry's recent fiasco in London.

"Isn't that right, Gregory?" one of them spoke to her disguise. "oh," she coughed a few times attempting to play the part well. "Yeah, those filthy mudbloods." she said to appease them.

"You haven't been the same." the other pointed out.

"Just not feeling well." she replied. "Gas... or something."

They approached the Malfoy manner, the leader of their pack reporting to that witch she had seen in Hogwarts next to Voldemort. Along the row of chairs at the table at the head she could see him sitting there, eyes fixated on the leader.

"And how many mudbloods are awaiting sentencing at the Ministry?" he asked.

"Three hundred or so with more to come. Some have tried to escape, my Lord."

Voldemort simply nodded, "However, Potter was able to escape."

"If I would have been there at the time I would have gotten him."

"It's fine, more importantly the world knows of his cowardice... Goyle, what of the woman?" he asked.

Lacrimosa shifted her weight as she watched the death eaters exchange puzzled looks, all except Bellatrix who seemed unhappy at that very moment. "Sightings of the girl in Britain sir...we found her hiding place recently but it appears to have been abandoned for a few days."

A smile curled up on his thin lips. Nigini curling up over the top of his chair causing the others to shift uncomfortably. Lacrimosa however did not, eliciting a dangerous look from Voldemort. "You." he said. "What is your name?" Perfect, she had caught his attention easier then she thought she would.

Lacrimosa took this opportunity to play her part. If she was to remain here, she would have to prove her worthiness. "Gregory." she bowed. "Allen Gregory my Lord." her voice matching that of the man she had left confounded somewhere in London.

"You seem to me a man of good judgement. Am I correct?"

Lacrimosa could almost sense where he was going with this, and she continued to play along. "I am whatever my Lord wishes me to be." she slowly moved around the table to where Goyle sat. "including a punisher for those that constantly disappoint my Lord."

Amused, Voldemorts cold smile grew a little wider. This man, whomever he was...he knew exactly what he wanted. "Then, would you not agree that there are failures amongst us today?"

Lacrimosa simply forced a smile as Goyle jumped up from his seat screaming at first then shook his head violently as he looked Lacrimosa's way. She looked back, and then watched as he ran toward the leader of the pack both men screaming in a tangle on the floor as the others watched in horror. She was forcing Goyle though, forcing him to dig his thumbs into his eyeballs, blood and flesh caving in and ultimately death. Lacrimosa stuck her hands in her pockets and examined her handy work as she finished up with the Cruciatus curse. When she had her fill of torturing the death eater she turned to see a very pleased look on Voldemort's face. He smiled and stood clapping his hands, "Bravo, Gregory! What a splendid performance!"

"Thank you, my Lord. I only wish to please you." she bowed, laying it on as thick as she could.

"This my friends, is a shining example in true loyalty. Come Gregory, I wish you to sit next to me. Move over Lucious."

"My Lord." she replied and sat down where Lucious had abandoned his seat quickly.

"I wish for you to remain here at the Malfoy Manner. I have a couple of guests downstairs...and I find myself unable to leave here with disappointments as soon as I return."

"Whatever my Lord desires." Lacrimosa replied.


	6. Surrender

Lacrimosa Riddle and The Last Horcrux  
><em>Surrender<em>  
>By: Anencephaly<p>

She stood from above watching as Bellatrix tortured Hermione, she held herself back from assaulting Voldemort's favorite witch. It was only a matter of time before Harry could free himself from downstairs with the help of Dobby. When Dobby finally appeared she took action against Narcissa even though her wand was gone. She cornered her against the back wall having lost concentration on her disguise. She could tell this, as she could see behind Narcissa through a mirror. Even her enchantments had changed. "If you want your family to live, you had better choose the right side by the end of all this." She warned her.

"Who are you?" Narcissa whispered.

"An enemy of You-Know-Who." she whispered back.

"Whose that?" Draco asked as soon as the fight had ended.

It didn't take Bellatrix long to figure out where she had seen that face before. She snarled, grabbing Narcissa's wand and brandished a dagger from thin air. Lacrimosa released Narcissa and split for the doorway. Harry was safe but she had blown her cover. Voldemort was on his way. As she ran she could hear Bellatrix scream at the top of her lungs once more for them to stop her. She felt a sharp pain in her lower right side and nearly fell to the floor but managed to recover even as the thorn in her side remained there. She looked down to see her gray blouse seeped with blood, her own blood. But still she ran, throwing the doors open and jumping down the small flight of steps. She rolled, seeing a cloud of darkness pass over her. She was running out of time, and worse... Out of energy. When she pulled herself up off of the ground she could feel the leaves on the ground coated with her blood, the dagger in her back embedded further. She got up, running towards the darkness of the woods only to feel a weight against her back, dragging her back down again and the dagger thrust deeper into her back. Lacrimosa let out her own terrifying scream.

Inside Voldemort apparated, his eyes falling upon the destructive state of the room and Bellatrix's seeming frustration turned to instant fear. He suspected that they had something of value and lost it. He turned as soon as he heard a woman's scream from outside. "A guest?" He turned his back to the others and made his way out to the front, the others following him to see if they had caught the girl.

"She is a pretty one." one of the werewolves snarled.

"Does it hurt when I do this?" the leader asked twisting the knife around eliciting more screams.

Her wand hand was being crushed by the boot of whoever stood on her, and the pain was too much to concentrate on casting them off of her. "'Er Blood... its quite delicious." The other leaned in to smell as he continued to twist the knife around. Between her screams and tears she could see a shadowy figure above them, and then his face.

The moment he saw who it had been, he had become enraged even further and threw the wolves back into a tree. On the ground Lacrimosa struggled to move but found no strength to work off of. Voldemort said nothing as he moved forward and knelt down. "shhh..." the sound was so snake like in her ears it caused her to squirm uncomfortably under his hand. "shhh..."

He wrapped his hand around her mouth and reached around the dagger ripping it from her body with no struggle. She screamed into his hand, tears rolling down her face as he rolled her onto her back and picked her up.

She looked up at him her breaths short and quick. Her body was slowly beginning to feel numb, and her vision blurry.

"I believe this belongs to you...Bellatrix..." Voldemort's cold voice was ever present in her ears. The dagger in question rose mid air and shot at Bellatrix, slashing her across the face as she dodged.

"M-my Lord! I swear, I didn't know it was her...the dagger... the dagger my lord..." Bellatrix began to quiver as she followed him back to the house.

"What of it?" Voldemort hissed.

"P-poison."

Voldemort's chest rose and fell and one could tell he was trying to manage his temper at this moment. "Sit. Down...Bellatrix...I will deal with you later. Lucious..."

"M-my Lord." Lucious whispered.

"Be sure that Bellatrix remains comfortable."

Nothing was said as Voldemort left them to their own confused thoughts. They would all be punished one way or another for having lost the Potter boy. But still they couldn't help but wonder who the girl wounded in the dark lords arms was. They couldn't help but question Bellatrixs fate.

Upstairs Voldemort entered his chambers. He issued silent commands to his masked followers, ordering them to bring herbs and fresh water for the girl.

She had begun to develop a fever, which felt like hot fire to her cold surroundings. He released her, her body floating in mid air limply as he circled her, touching his robes with the tips of his fingers and bringing them to the slits in his face. He inhaled, and then reached out with his tongue tasting her blood. "You've made a grave mistake Lacrimosa." He shook his head and stopped on the other side of her. "Stepping into the snakes pit and then aiding in Harry Potter's escape." He sighed, "Tch, tch tch..." He leaned down, taking in her scent mixed with that of perspiration, the outdoors and a little bit of the wolves and something else... "Ahh, yes... there it is."

Lacrimosa jerked slightly, the pain worsening. "Death." he finished.

She only looked at him, as she struggled to take her breaths, "You see Lacrimosa. I hold your life in my hands. Now...beg." he ordered her.

Lacrimosa simply smiled, almost laughing at him. She could see the rage in his eyes, and then finally she reached up slowly, touching one side of his face gently.

He saw a mixture of things, her crystallization, him and her back in their final days of school, everything within their life and then it all came to an end with her death here in this room. Her hand slid down but he caught it just before it could fall roughly. He watched her chest carefully to see if it would rise and fall. Nothing... nothing happened. He squeezed her hand as he reached into his robes, brandishing the pendant he had locked a portion of her soul into and wrapped it around her neck.

"Never again..." he whispered.

Her body jerked up again. She could feel her soul being pulled back from wherever it was headed. It was as if she was calling herself back into the realm of mortality. She could see the dark light at its entrance and struggled against it. She could feel the former pain nearing again, but it still pulled her forward. Everything was there, feeling, pain, sadness, anguish, and much more as she opened her eyes letting out a scream of terror. It was as if death had never come, but the wounds were still there.

Voldemort was still over her, removing her garments to reach the wound that Bellatrix had inflicted. She wanted to brace herself, fight back and stop it all from happening. But her body wouldn't allow for movement. Or he wouldn't allow her to move, whichever it was, she found no comfort in the pain or the situation and soon blacked out.

When he had finished repairing the wounds, he sat in a large old leather arm chair, looking up at her as she floated semi-naked within a sphere of light. His magic working its way through and around her wounds to heal and calm her. It was clear that she was against him, but saving her was in his best interest. Her power was as magnificent as ever, yet she had become too weak to use it and it was unfortunate that Dumbledore had reached her when she had re-awoken from her long sleep.

He rubbed his pale fingers across his wand pondering what he would do when she would come to. How he would convince her to join him. There would be no way he could fix her memory to his liking. She was not a weak minded fool like those that served under him. It was a choice between torture, and manipulating her to do his bidding. How easier it was to do so many years ago when she desired simple things such as marriage and a family. His thoughts stirred and he realized the way through this problem.

-

Her eyes flew open, the weight of a thick rich blanket over her. She didn't recognize the room as it was dimly lit by a fire. Slowly she sat up, and soon discovered an aching pain in her side. She remembered then, she remembered how she had ended up here. A scream from down the hall made it ever clear to her that she was captured. Another scream down the hall, same location, similar sound made her guess that the woman who had thrown a knife into her back was being tortured. She looked under the blankets, touching her side gingerly beneath her white robes. She undid the knot, and found a bandage stuck to her skin.

Another thirty minutes or so passed with Bellatrix's screaming echoing through the halls, and then the door opened moments afterwards. Their eyes connected as she clutched the blankets close to her chest. He said nothing as he crossed the room towards her and reached for the covers. She pulled back, nearly finding herself on the other side of the bed. "It is nothing I have not seen before. Don't be foolish, you'll bleed again." he reached for her again only for his hand to be slapped away.

"Don't touch me." she ordered.

No one dared to refuse the Dark Lord, and he wanted to backhand her for pushing him away like that, but he stopped himself. It was Lacrimosa, but with fury in her eyes for him.

He reached for her again. "I said NO!" she cried out, but he grabbed her wrist, pulling it to connect with the other and bound them together with magic. She felt a tearing sensation in her back and winced in pain, causing her to settle down as he removed the blankets. "You've gone and made yourself bleed again." he sighed.

It didn't take him long to fix what she had broken, and then he released her bonds and she held her arms over her chest as she pulled the covers back over her. She looked away from him now, "Are you only keeping me alive to torture me?" She disgruntled.

Before Voldemort could answer, another scream from Bellatrix could be heard. "No." He said calmly.

Lacrimosa looked up at him, "For how long has it been like this?" Lacrimosa asked. "For how long have you dreamed of doing unspeakable things? To murder women and children, to kill without mercy?"

Voldemort took in a deep breath through his nostrils. "Since your death." He replied coldly. "I watched you for the longest time... our first year when you boasted and displayed extraordinary magic that Dumbledore himself would not dare to use. I watched you blossom into a magnificent witch with such talent... and I watched you suffer the price for it." Voldemort stepped lightly towards the fireplace as he rotated his want slowly in his hand. "I thought that...if I were to become the greatest Wizard, I could save you and in order to do that...I had to do...unspeakable things." His words were icy, but they sounded true and honest, he meant them to be that way to try and sway her mind.

He could hear her feet touch the floor. "It's inexcusable." Her voice filled with contempt. "It doesn't explain why you persecute those with half blood and those you call blood traitors. It doesn't tell me why you've mangled your soul and killed to create...to create these things...these Horcruxes!"

"How do you know?" Voldemort stepped closer.

"I've seen it..." Lacrimosa stood her ground bravely.

"And what else have you seen?" He took another step closer.

Lacrimosa could feel the memories echoing from the past. "I know you're looking for something... a wand to defeat the Potter boy with." She opened her eyes only to find him closer to her. He was trying to pry into her mind to get a better look at the things she could see. She turned her face away, only to find that he had successfully pried her thoughts open. "Yes...I see now..." He hissed into her ear.

"I can only save you, Lacrimosa..." he said as he grabbed her lower half to keep her from falling. "I saved you then... and I can save you now." She could feel her heart beating faster as she recalled Tom Riddle standing next to her. He grabbed her hand as they sat looking up into the stars. She looked over at him and smiled, and he looked back examining her face and smiled almost happily. "The boy threatens my life...Lacrimosa. He threatens all that I hope to achieve...a world where you and I can live forever."

Lacrimosa came to, "Forever..." she whispered back.

"Yes."

Lacrimosa closed her eyes. "I can't die..." she grabbed his robes.

"You will never die, so long as you remain mine."

Lacrimosa recalled the broken crystals on the ground. "I have a Horcrux..." she said. "If it...wasn't for the Horcrux I would have remained their forever...I would have died that day..." she pushed back slightly, looking at him. "Where is it?" she asked softly.

"Safe." He answered quietly.

She accepted this answer, dropping her feelings of hatred into the corner of her mind. She had to deceive him the way Snape had done so well. By giving him what he wanted which was to give into him. It was the only way to find out where he had hidden it. A smile curled up on his lips as he felt her accept his presence, he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Welcome home, Lacrimosa."

It wasn't easy feeling his ice cold hands against her skin, or him taking in her scent with each pass. But all of this meant nothing for what she really wanted.

Death.

Freedom from her confinements.

After she had cleaned up, he had dressed her in dark clothes and left her barefooted like how he was. The dress was fashioned to what Sorceresses usually preferred to wear. A petaled panel in the front decorated with silver embroidery. Long and flowing in the back, following her every movement. A cuff was attached to her right ankle, which Voldemort had fashioned himself to help her maintain her power. She followed him downstairs, much to the surprise of his followers, particularly Bellatrix who looked on in awe.

He held out his hand for Lacrimosa as she strode forward. Without a word she reached out, laying her hand on top of his and then they disappeared in an instant.

With a pop they had arrived at their destination. "The Forbidden Forest…" Lacrimosa said quietly.

"Yes…there is something near that belongs to me."


End file.
